#curly walking over to the curtis house a few weeks later:

[eviesqueezie]

pony pushes a hand just below his rib cage, knees buckling as it comes back red; blood dripping through the gaps between his fingers.

“curly-“

he leans against the wall, taking shallow breaths that burn as their pass through his throat. the boy in question spins around, black eye and busted lip but otherwise unharmed.

“pone? what’s- oh god-“

he takes a step forward, mouth open yet silent with his hands waving back and forth in a desperate repetitive motion.

pony gags as the sick iron taste of blood hits the back of his mouth, tongue jutting over his incisor as he tries to keep his breathing as steady as he can.

“okay- okay sit down.” curly pushes him down by his shoulders before pulling off his leather jacket and holding it out to pony. when he tilts his head curiously he rolls his eyes, shaking it in his hand. “to put pressure on it.”

pony nods, doing as he’s told as the pain washes throughout his body.

curly looked around hurriedly in search for a phone box, lip caught between his teeth.

“i’m gonna go- i’ll be back i’ll just call darry- or, or two bit? sodapop?”

pony shakes his head, holding out hand for curly to take.

“curly- curly, if this kills me-.”

the other grits his teeth shaking his head feverishly. “no- no pone-“

“no, shut up. if i die- you gotta make it out. you gotta tell dar and soda that they have to help you get outta this town. got it?”

curly shakes his head again, kneeling down next to pony as the blood drips onto the floor in a mocking painting of his shadow.

ponyboy inhales sharply, muttering low curses under his breath as the pool of blood flows faster. as it spreads beneath him, spreads around him.

[dallaswinstonsleatherjacket]

TWO YEARS LATER

FOR: @darrys-toolbag and @naturallesbain

TAGLIST: @nonbinary-ponyboy-curtis @chaotically-cas @sh4d3s-of-c0ol @naturallesbain @darrys-toolbag @otterfire @i1-800-555-trash-1i @queen-of-the-outside @isasbaguettes @steveisjapanesefuckit (lmk if you want to be added)

The house had been quiet since everyone left. The rooms felt empty, but the silence felt too loud, and Darry had been forced to walk from room to room with the memories heavy in the air. 

Pony’s side of the room was barren. White walls, the bed was stripped clean, the small desk across from it was empty. The sketches that had been pinned above the desk had been taken down, pressed carefully in some folder Ponyboy had called a portfolio. Their parents' old suitcases had been lugged out of the hall closet, carrying Pony’s things to New York, and leaving Darry behind.

Soda’s side of the room was empty too. Empty of only him. The pictures still hung where they always did, the bed was still freshly made.

 And it hurt to think about.

The letter had come a couple of weeks before Pony left for college. Crisp, white paper folded in an even crisper envelope, had been held in Sodas trembling hand, before Darry snatched it away and read it, once, twice.

The gang stood stiffly when Soda said goodbye. It seemed as if they were sending another of them off to die. It was like Windrixville all over again, but every night Darry would wonder if another letter would come the next morning, bearing worse news.

Steve hadn't been able to stay around Tulsa with Soda gone. Skipping the second gap year he had planned to take, he packed up and headed to some college. He hadn't said where, he had barely even said goodbye.

Two-bit stayed in Tulsa, but it wasn’t much of a comfort. He was drunk every day, spending all of his time at Bucks, or the closest bar he could find. Darry hadn't seen him in a few weeks, last time he did, some girl was tangled in Twos arms, and Darry hadn't stopped to talk.

So he was left to wander around the empty house, the ghosts of memories almost moving him to tears. 

He found himself wandering into his old bedroom, the one he had shared with Soda before he had moved into his parents, and Soda moved in with Pony. It was a guest room now, or it used to be. Back when they had guests, or people who stayed over. 

Darry’s childhood still lingered, though, on the walls, on the desk, on the bear sitting on the top shelf. He reached for it, taking it down, letting the soft fur run under his fingers, remembering the day he got it. 

There was banging on the door, and Darry dropped the bear onto the end of the bed. He thought hazily that it could be the police, before he remembered that no one would come here anyway. There was no one living here except him, and he didn’t do anything wrong.

When the door opened though, to Darry’s surprise it was the police. Two officers, looking quite disgruntled and holding the shoulders of Tim Shepard, slightly drunk and grinning like a cheshire cat.

“Darrel Curtis?” One of the officers spoke, and Darry started.

“Yes, sir.” His voice sounded like he hadn't used it in years.

“Found him trying to slash some kid’s tires. He says he lives here, is that true?” They were both glaring at Darry, which he found funny, because he hadn’t done anything wrong. His hair wasn't even greased.

Darry glanced at Tim before answering. 

“Yes sir, he lives here.”

“Good.” The officer shot a look at Tim before pushing him roughly forward. “Keep him under control, would you?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Darry watched as the police officers walked down the front steps, closing the door, and watching as Tim stood before him.

“Hey, Curtis.” The words came out in a drawl, a lazy smile was sent towards Darry before he leaned against the wall.

Darry swallowed, closing his eyes for a second before responding. “Hi, Tim. What the hell was that all about?”

Tim was still leaning against the door, and he slowly, slowly pulled out a pack of Kools as if it hurt him to do so, lighting one and shoving the rest back in his pocket. 

“Didn't want Curly and Angela to see me getting dragged home.” His voice was easy, light.

Darry was glaring at the cigarette in Tim’s hand, debating whether it was worth fighting about or not. He resisted.

“Also, I wanted to visit you, see how you were, man.”

The “man” sounded so much like Dally that Darry winced a little, but he tried his best to smile at Tim.

“And you figured a police car was the easiest way to do it?”

“Free ride,” Tim laughed, and Darry did too, weakly.

“But really,” Tim said, after a drag on his cigarette. “How have you been, Dar? Everyone’s pretty much gone and moved, huh?”

Darry smiled wanly. “Yep, everyone’s gone.”

“You didn't answer my first question,” Tim said, smirking. “How are you?”

Darry sighed, sitting at the kitchen table. “I’m alright. Pony’s in college, Steve is too, Soda-” the name caught in his throat. “Soda was drafted, he's in Vietnam right now-”

Tim sucked in a breath. “Shit, I’m sorry, man-”

“It's fine.” It wasn't fine.

“And Two-bits wandering around somewhere, and Dally and Johnny-” a lump lodged itself in his throat, and he cleared it quickly. 

“Well, you know.” Darry finished, and looked down.

There was empty silence for a moment, and Darry jumped when Tim laid a hand over Darry’s, holding his gently.

“You should have dinner with us sometimes. Angel and Curly and I. You can’t tell me you're not lonely here.” Darry looked up from their intertwined fingers to meet Tim’s eyes, dark and warm.

“I’m sorry for not coming by sooner. And for not calling.” Tim spoke again, his voice was sincere now, heavy with an emotion Darry could not understand and wasn't sure he wanted to.

“Me too.” Darrys lips quirked into a small smile, still looking at Tim. “I have a telephone too, I could have called.”

“But you didn’t,” Tim said teasingly, lifting his hand from Darry’s and tracing patterns across it. “Why not?”

Darry didn’t speak, he couldn’t think straight, Tim’s fingers drawing lines across the back of his hand was certainly enough to distract him.

“Afraid I’d leave you like everyone else?” 

Darry still stayed quiet.

“I’d never leave you alone, Darrel Curtis” Tim said slowly, and Darry shuddered at the words as they hit the cool night air, Tim’s breath was warm and smelled like beer, and they were so close now that if Darry tipped his head just a little bit-

He had no more time to think it over, because Tim did it for him, connecting their lips as if they had been there, right on each other’s, millions of times before. It was quick and simple, and Darry found himself wishing it lasted longer as Tim pulled away, smirking as if he knew something Darry didn’t. 

“Hi.” Tim was still grinning.

Darry’s cheeks burned red. “Hey.” 

Silence for a moment, and then;

“Stay here? For the night? You cant walk home in the dark-”

“You don’t need to convince me, Curtis. Let me call home real quick.”

Darry watched as Tim leaned against the wall next to the phone, talking under his breath to Angela with his eyes closed. He tried to keep his blush under control when Tim opened his eyes and met Darry’s.

God, Darry loved Tim Shepard.

[eliniei]

Those Hard Days - Chapter 43

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

Previous Chapter |  Next Chapter

Chapter 43 - Trial

A week later, Rae found herself sitting in the courthouse on the rich side of town. She was stuck in a black dress Barb had gotten for her, Dally’s Saint Christopher medal hanging from her neck. It was the first day she had been able to open the bag of her brother’s belongings. But she wanted- no, needed- to wear it. 

When they’d brought her father out, she felt the blood drain from her face. Great, now she looked like a damned ghost. She clutched the medal tightly in one hand, her other hand gripped the fabric of her skirt.

"Is it true that you drink, Mr. Winston?" their attorney asked.

"Yes, sir," he answered. "But I would never hurt my little girl. She and Dallas were all I had left when my wife died." 

Rae's face grew hot and red with anger. Their attorney had warned them that this could happen- that he’d play to the jury’s sympathies. She felt a hand on her back. Two-Bit.

"Calm down," he whispered. "Even if they don’t put him away, it’ll be okay." She sighed and nodded. Her face and hands relaxed. When she’d started to pay attention again, her father had stepped down from the stand. 

"I call to the stand Rae Lee Winston." She sucked in a breath and stood up. Her lawyer escorted her up the platform and sat her down in the chair. A police officer came up with a black bible. Once he swore her in, her interrogation started.

"What happened to you?" she was asked. Rae relived the night through her words. She tried hard to keep her voice stable, even.

"I was runnin’ away that night," she started, her eyes unfocusing, remembering.

"Running away? Why?"

"For-for as long as I can remember my father would-would hit my brother and me. And I-I...that night I couldn’t handle it anymore. Dally-my brother, that is- was gone and I had been stayin’ with some friends for a few days but Dad, he-he threatened to turn Darry in to the state to get his brothers taken away and-” She sighed. She was rambling. 

"Okay," the man started. "So you wanted to run away because you were afraid your father was going to hit you again?" She nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“What happened next?”

"Well, I was standin’ outside the house and I was about to leave when I heard my father come out." She grimaced. She heard his words in the back on her mind, slithering up her spine. She shivered. "He was drinkin’ a beer. Wanted me to come back inside, but I...didn’t want to.”

“How did he respond when you wouldn’t come back inside?” She felt his hand on her arm, the broken glass spraying over her.

“He...he pushed me to the ground and threw his beer bottle. It shattered and cut me right here.” Rae drew her finger across the side of her face. “And then he…” She paused, feeling the foot in her back. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm.

“It’s alright, Miss Winston. Take your time.” 

“I tried-.” Her voice went high, a sob threatening to surface, and she paused again. Cleared her throat. “-Tried to fight him off but he hit me in the head. Everything was fuzzy and I-I think I blacked out. When I woke up, my pants were around my ankles. Dally and Darry were there. I-I woke up to the sound of them fightin’ my dad off."

"Dallas Winston and Darrel Curtis?"

"Yeah, right" Rae said, nodded. Her lawyer sat down and her father's stood up.

"Did you get tested?"

"No, I-I didn’t.”

"Why not?"

"I was scared." 

“Scared of what?” 

“Scared-scared of my father. Scared of what he’d do to me if I told. Scared that I’d be shipped off to New York and I wouldn’t see Dally or any of my friends again.”

After more questions, they called Darry up to testify that he had been there and what he had seen. Then, they had to wait. Rae was allowed to rejoin her friends in the first row of the audience.

She held tightly on to Two-Bit’s hand when the jury came back into the room. Steve took her other hand and gave her a nod. 

Patricia had warned her, the attorney had warned them. Without any real evidence- with only the world of a teenage girl… Still, nothing could have prepared her for the outcome, regardless.

"We find the defendant not guilty of the charges against him.”

Shock. Despair. After everything they’d been through. Everything they’d sacrificed. None of it mattered in the end. She sucked in a breath, and bit her lip, trying to hold back the sob at the back of her throat. Her eyes shot to her father. He had a smirk on his face. Rae clenched her teeth and looked away. 

“It’s-it’ll be okay,” Two-Bit said, beside her. Her attorney leaned over the railing between them and the front of the court. 

“We expected this, remember?” She nodded. “We expected he wouldn’t be convicted here, but charged for his other crimes.” The judge looked over some paperwork on her platform. 

“I’d like to see Rae Lee Winston, Barbara Mathews, and Patricia Miller in my office, please,” he said, concluding the session. 

Once they were all assembled, they were offered a seat.

“Your case worker says that your father’s home is not fit for a child,” he started. “And even if your father is acquitted of all charges in the coming weeks, she suggests you not be given back to him.” Rae sat up straight in her chair, folding her hands, tightly, in her lap. “After viewing your file and seeing the pictures of your home, I’m inclined to agree. I understand you would like to stay here, in Tulsa?”

“Yes, sir. I’d-I’d like to stay with Mrs. Mathews.”

“Barbara Mathews, you’ll be willing to take this girl under your guardianship?”

“Absolutely,” she responded. “I’ve filled out all the paperwork already.”

"Custody of Rae Lee Winston will be given to Barbara Mathews, then." The judge picked up a pen, signed his name, and closed the file. Rae let out a deep sigh of relief. “But on one condition. I want you to attend therapy, young lady.” He eyed her closely. “You’ve been through an awful lot. I think it could do you a lot of good.” 

Well, if it would keep her here. She nodded her agreement.

The next day, it rained. It seemed fitting, really. 

Curly had been released from his reform school for the funeral, and he stood next to her now, in a nice, buttoned-up shirt and his leather jacket, an umbrella in one hand, shielding them from the rain, her hand tightly grasped in the other. 

The boys were all present, of course, along with Tim and Carrie. Mrs. Mathews and Chrissy. Buck. Even Angela, Evie, and Kathy. Sylvia didn’t show- though, Rae didn’t really expect her to, after learning how they’d ended things...but the invitation was still extended, nonetheless.

The casket was beautiful, and probably bought with money that was not exactly obtained legally. Tim had pulled his boys to do- well, he didn’t tell her what, but he’d handed her the money to pay for the funeral in full. 

Rae let go of Curly’s hand and walked out towards the open grave. She let the rain wash the tears from her face and she ran her hand down the smooth, dark wood. She felt everyone’s eyes on her back. 

“This is it, I guess, huh?” she said, low enough so none of their friends could hear. “Dally, I...I miss ya a whole helluva lot. Darry-he’s been helpin’ me with...all of this. Helpin’ me talk about things instead of keepin’ it locked up inside. I’ll be goin’ to therapy soon with a certified professional and all.” She inhaled a shaky breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Dally...I, uh...I ain’t got a clue how I’m gonna do this without ya. It’s real hard, knowin’ that you ain’t gonna get any older...or grow old with me like ya promised. But Darry said that-that you’d want me to be happy. I’m really gonna try my best, okay? I’m gonna try my best for you. Just…just keep an eye out for me, yeah?” One side of her lips tilted up in a sad, painful smile. “I love you, Dally.” 

She closed her hand over her brother’s medal, hung around her neck, and looked up at the sky, water droplets falling on her face. After a moment, she returned to Curly and the umbrella and let the others pay their respects. He took her hand again. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. 

“It’ll be okay,” he whispered, placing a soft, gentle kiss on her temple. She sighed, but nodded.

“Yeah, I think I know that now.”

[talkgreasytome]

Threats

Ship(s): Soc!Steve x Sodapop Character(s): Steve ; Sodapop ; Curly ; Tim ; Dallas ; Darry ; Words: 1642 Warning(s): Angst ; Violence A/N: Yes hello a Stevepop for once Me and mi amigo @sodaoutsiders​ were talking about scenarios with Steve and Soda were  Steve was a Soc because of that post and we talked a little abut this but I wrote it and gave it more detail and depth kinda? But I love her and you should see her blog she’s super nice and beautiful 💖 

Steve sighed and stretched, keeping a tight hold on his math textbook as he rose his arms into the air and yawned. He was feeling rather sleepy as the school day ended, and once the bell rang to notify that he could leave to go take his shift at the DX station, he could feel his heart soar at the thought of seeing his wonderful boyfriend Sodapop. He felt bad that he had to take a full shift and drop out of school ever since his parents died and he did everything he could to help his boyfriend and his family out financially, that was a big part of the reason he took the only open shift at the gas station, but it also gave him more time to spend with Soda.

As he walked down the hall, waves of people flooded out of the classrooms to get to their lockers and their next classes. Steve was near the end of the hall when, suddenly, he was being shoved up against the brick wall by a boy with curly black hair and a leather jacket. Steve tensed.

“So, I hear you’ve been hangin’ around the greaser crowd, huh?” Curly Shepard asked Steve in a low voice, leaning in just so Steve and the few buddies Curly had around could hear. Steve shrugged, turning his face to the side. He wasn’t exactly scared, but he wasn't exactly calm either.

“So what of it?”

Curly snickered, “I think you got some real balls to think you can cross into our territory without some sorta consequence, don’t you agree?” He asked that last question more to his friends who nodded and sniggered in agreement. Steve shivered and frowned, shaking his head, keeping his eyes closed.

“Lay off, man...”

“No, you lay off, buster. I’ve seen you hangin’ around pretty-boy Curtis and there’s not a doubt in my mind that he’s usin’ ya for your money,” he paused, then grinned, “You have a beautiful face. It’d be a pity if something ever happened to it.”

“Get off!” Steve growled, his heart pounding hard as he shoved the younger greaser off of him, making him stumble into his friends behind him. There was a moment of stillness between the five boys before Steve realized what could happen any second, and he quickly took off, clutching the textbook he had managed to not drop to his chest as he raced down the hall and out of the school. When he shut the door to his car, his breathing couldn’t have been any more painful. He couldn’t decipher whether or not he was scared of some fifteen year-old dangerous greaser or if it was just anxiety from being startled, but as he made his his way to work, Steve decided to forget the situation so he wouldn’t be tempted to tell his boyfriend of it.

*****

“Deep breaths, Stevie…” Soda hummed, hugging Steve closely as Steve’s body shook with sobs. Steve clung to his boyfriend as he sobbed into his shoulder, trying to do as he said but finding it nearly impossible. In that moment, he hated himself too much. Questions like ‘Why does my dad hate me?’ or ‘Why do I have to be a Soc?’ floated in his head, making him feel worse, and he felt like the luckiest guy in the world to have such a wonderful person be with him and trying to comfort him. “It’s okay…”

It had been a while since Steve’s last break down. He didn’t have one often, but when that cool feeling of pretending you’re something you’re not and that feeling of wanting to really be yourself and be with the a boy who wasn’t in your social class collided, it really became too much.

“I’m fuckin’ sick of this shit, Soda!”

“I know, I know…”

“Fuck greasers who think they can treat people like shit!” Soda sighed, his shoulders kind of slumping and cheeks heating up slightly. He knew Steve wasn’t talking about him, but it still felt kind of bad to hear it. But he understood what he was saying. Most greasers weren’t exactly the nicest people. But the thing was, neither were Soc’s. But Soda guessed that wasn’t really the point.

“Did something happen..?”

“That… That good-for-nothing greaser Curly-”

“Greaser has nothing to do with it,” Soda said quickly, “it’s just Curly being a dick, that’s how he is.”

“S-sorry… Force of habit-”

“It’s okay,” Soda said gently, slowly rubbing Steve’s back and nuzzling his neck, ��just tell me what he did, baby.” Steve coughed and shook his head, pulling away from Soda and reaching for the stolen bottle of rum he had managed to take from his father’s liquor cabinet. He knew his dad would probably be pretty ticked, but at the moment, he was too drunk to care.

“Pushed me up against a wall and started fuckin’ with me… I don’t know, Soda, he probably wouldn’t’ve don’t nothin’, but who knows?” Steve froze and his eyes widened as Steve took another swig of his father's rum. “He was talkin’ about ‘consequences’ and how you were usin’ me for money, and I didn’t know what to think-”

“Steve, listen to me honey,” Soda said carefully, trying to keep his anger suppressed as he cupped Steve’s cheeks in his hands. Steve sniffled some and gave him a helpless look. “You know that’s not true. I love you whether you have money or not.”

“I know that…” Steve muttered, looking down at the bed, “I don’t mean to be so sensitive, but between that, and my dad, and my friends, I just couldn’t handle it no more.”

“Baby, it’s okay to feel things. I’m always gonna be here for you, okay? You can talk to me about anything.”

*****

“I’m gonna go hang with Tim for a while, man, I’ll catch ya later.”

Soda could hear Dally talking to Darry as he washed his hands in the bathroom. At first he thought nothing of it. It had been probably a week since Steve’s breakdown and they had both calmed down from it, but when it dawned on Soda that Dally was going to see Tim, which probably meant Curly was going to be there, he quickly left the bathroom to pull on some shoes.

“Hold on a minute Dally, I’m goin’ with you.”

Dally and Darry exchanged curious looks and sat quietly as Soda got his shoes on and cracked his knuckles.

“Be careful,” Darry said simply, and Soda gave his eldest brother a nod before trotting out the door, Dally following behind. As they walked, they were quiet. Dally didn’t particularly care about why Soda wanted to tag along, so he didn’t ask, although Soda probably wouldn’t have been more than happy to tell him why. But since Dally didn’t ask, he didn’t tell, which he was fine with as well.

When they reached the Shepard household, Dally couldn’t even get a word in before Soda was walking up to Tim and asking where his brother, Curly, was.

“He’s probably in his room upstairs,” Tim responded with a shrug, and Soda mumbled a ‘thank you’ before heading over to the staircase and going up quickly. Exchanging curious glances, Dally and Tim followed the middle Curtis up the stairs and down the hall where they saw him knocking on Curly’s door.

“Open the door!”

“Maybe I will if you ask nicely!”

“I’ll break it open!”

“I’d like to see you try!”

Soda shut his eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. It was an empty threat to break down the door, he’d rather not have Tim Shepard mad at him for destroying the house and he didn’t like having to use force. When he opened his eyes next, Tim and Dally were standing next to him, and Tim was using a small key to open the door.

“Locks from the inside and outside,” he muttered. Soda vaguely wondered why Tim was helping him, then came up with the conclusion that he probably likes seeing his younger brother get his ass beat before opened the door, walked right in, and grabbed Curly by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close and glaring.

“I heard you’ve been taunting my boyfriend.”

Curly snickered, “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” Soda looked away a moment, taking another breath before he gave the younger greaser a hard shake.

“Stay away from Steve,” he said in a hard voice, and Curly rolled his eyes.

“Or what?” Soda growled under his breath and thought: This kid sure does like playing with fire. Calmly, he set Curly back down on his feet and turned, seeming to walk away. After taking a step and letting Curly think that, he turned around and punched him right in the jaw, causing Curly to fall back on his behind. Behind him, Tim and Dally had looks of surprise on their faces, but they faded away with looks of amusement. After Soda regained his composer, he turned around and  moved past Tim and Dally to get out of the house. The only thing on his mind now was seeing his boyfriend.

When Soda made it back to the house, Darry was still sitting in his chair watching the news and drinking tea, and Steve had made his way over obviously a little worried. When Soda walked through the front door, Steve was up on his feet, a smile present on his face.

“Hey,” he greeted, then paused, seeing Soda’s hard expression, “what’s wrong?”

“Took care of some business, nothin’ to worry about babe,” Soda said, walking up to Steve and giving him a hug. Steve cocked a brow and hugged his boyfriend back cautiously.

“What business?”

“I just spoke to Curly, that’s all.” Soda said, pulling away from the hug and giving Steve a wide grin. “Now you don’t got nothin’ to worry about.”

[eliniei]

Those Hard Days - Chapter 12

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

Previous Chapter  |  Next Chapter

Chapter 12 - Birthday

Rae watched with wide eyes as Curly Shepard grabbed ahold of her father’s shirt and threw him to the ground, then looked at her, breathing hard. He was like a knight in greasy armor, hair slicked back and shining in the sunlight. He walked over to her and put his arms around her, protectively. She relaxed and dropped into his open arms.

"Thank you," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist, laying her forehead onto his chest and closing her eyes. She sighed in relief. She was still shaking, but at least it was starting to go away.

"You're alright," Curly reassured her, gently. "He ain’t gonna hurt you now.” She heard a scrape of concrete behind him, and lifted her head to look over his shoulder. Rae tensed, digging her nails into his back as her father headed towards them, her knife in his hand. Alarm returned to Curly’s features. “What’s-”

"Fuck off, asshole!" Dally yelled as he appeared out of nowhere and punched their father square in the nose. Blood spilled out of the man's nose and he stumbled back. “That’s been a long time comin’, you sick fuck.” He dropped her knife to the ground and went for his car, trying to staunch the bleeding.

"This is not the end," he said, then sped away. Johnny came out from where he was hiding, holding Curly’s leather jacket in his shaking hands. He stooped to pick up the blade.

"She okay?" Dally asked Curly as he headed over to them.

"I think her wrist might be twisted," Curly answered, lifting her arm and watching her reaction. "Looks like he might’a got her in the face."

“You know, I’m standin’ right here,” Rae said, pulling away from Curly. Johnny handed her switchblade over and she slid it back into her pocket. She gingerly touched her cheek.

"Johnny, go on back to Two-Bit and Pony." Dally ordered, forcefully. Johnny gave Curly back his jacket and obeyed, as he always did when it came out of Dally’s mouth. Her brother fished some money out of his pocket and pushed it into Curly’s hand. “Go, uh, get one of them bandages. Ya know what I’m talkin’ about, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” her boyfriend answered. “There’s a store right around the corner.”

"I'm sorry, Dally. I didn't know he would- Johnny and I were just walking and-," Rae started rambling. Dally waved his hand in front of her to make her stop talking.

"It ain’t your fault.” She quieted at his command. He put a hand on her back and pushed gently. “Come on.”

Her brother had Buck’s car parked a few blocks away, which was where Johnny must have found him.

“I was gonna meet ya after the movie, ya know, and take ya out to eat,” he explained as they walked. “Somewhere nice. Curly was headin’ in the same direction so I grabbed him for a little chat- and then Johnny came ‘round the corner spooked to hell.”

Rae leaned against the car, cradling her wrist. She ran her tongue over the inside of her cheek, feeling for any scrapes her teeth might’ve made.

Curly found them a few minutes later and pulled the bandage out of it’s packaging. He wrapped it tightly around her wrist, compressing it so that she couldn’t bend it easily.

“You hungry?” Dally asked, coming around from the other side of the car, lit cigarette between his fingers.

“I think I’d rather go chill at the Curtis’s,” she responded, inspecting the tan dressing. “Calm down a bit.” Her brother flicked his ashes in Curly’s direction.

“Get on home, punk. I’ll take her back. And don’t you forget what I said,” Dally threatened. Curly let out an exasperated sigh and leaned down, close to Rae’s face.

“I’d better listen to ‘im or he’ll kick my ass,” he said, smile forming on his face. She mirrored his face and found his lips with hers. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of his cigarettes, hair oil, and cologne.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his mouth. Before he could respond, Dally blared the horn, making them both jump. Curly let out a short laugh and helped her slide into the passenger seat.

“Get some rest,” he ordered, then closed the door. Her brother was quiet as he drove away from the curb. She watched Curly from the side mirror until he turned and walked down the road, then she settled in. Dally said something to her- probably about Curly- but it didn’t register in her mind. Now that the excitement had died down, her body weighed an awful heavy amount...

When Rae woke up, she was stretched out on a bed in a dark room. Even though the blinds were closed and curtains drawn closed, she could tell a late afternoon sun was beating down outside. The house seemed peaceful except for a few muffled sounds coming from beyond the room. She sat up as best she could, her wrist twinging a bit.

"Food sounds awfully good right now," she whispered to herself as she slipped out from under the sheet. As if in response, her stomach growled. She headed for the door but her knees wobbled a bit, feeling a little weak. She frowned, but steadied herself and continued towards the kitchen.

Dally and the three Curtis brothers were busy preparing what looked to be dinner. Dally, helping with dinner? What parallel universe did she wake up in? She leaned against the doorway, giving her body a break, and watched them. Darry noticed her first. A smile spread across his face. It seemed like months since she’d seen him smile like that.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he said and helped her to a chair at the dining room table. She heard various greetings from the rest of the boys.

“I feel like I slept for a week.” She scratched her scalp and noticed that the bandage around her wrist was coming loose.

“Not for a week,” Ponyboy chimed in. “But it is Sunday evening.” She blinked a few times, stunned.

“I slept a whole day?” Rae groaned. “And there’s school tomorrow? How depressing.” Darry smirked and sat in the chair next to hers. She held out her wrapped hand to him.

“Could you help me?” she asked, quietly, heat spreading across her face.

“Of course,” he said, smile softening, although his eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. He tightened the bandage around her wrist again and gently put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re one tough cookie.”

"She gets it from me, ya know," Dally bragged from the kitchen. The other boys laughed, but Rae beamed and felt her face heat up further. Her brother walked into the dining room carrying a couple of plates. He placed them in the center of the table and sat across from her. Soda came in behind him, pouring chocolate milk into all the glasses.

"Go ahead and dig in, Rae," he said. “This dinner’s for you.” Darry dropped another plate on the table. They’d cooked a lot of food. Darry’s homemade mashed potatoes (thank God he didn’t let Soda turn them blue this time) with pieces of corn mixed in. Chicken carbonara with mushrooms and bacon mixed into sauce. Definitely her favorites.

“Me?”

“Well, yeah, kid. It’s your birthday today, ain’t it?” Soda looked at Dally, unsure. Rae chewed on her lip in concentration, thinking about the day. Realization struck her.

“And you let me sleep the whole day away?” she cried, but she couldn’t even pretend to be angry. The boys laughed at her faux frustration. A smile grew on her face as a warm, happy feeling tugged at her insides and she looked across the table at her brother. She found him smiling back at her, amused. His rare, genuine grins sure made him look so young. “Ya’ll are useless,” she laughed. Her stomach grumbled at her again, so she didn’t hold back. Quickly, she tore into the food, her father momentarily forgotten.”

"You'll get a stomach ache if you keep eatin’ like that," Darry warned. She knew he was right, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t eaten since Friday night and she was damn hungry. The rest of the boys joined them at the table and started plating food for themselves.

A while later, Rae lounged deeply in the armchair, watching Soda teach Pony how to play poker. Darry was in the kitchen, pulling a peach cobbler (again, her favorite) out of the oven. Dally was in there with him.

Eventually, Rae grew bored of watching the two play cards so she  went to see if Pony had any new books in the house. On her way back, she passed by the kitchen and caught part of the clipped conversation her brother was having with Darry. She stopped by the open doorway to eavesdrop.

"We can't let this happen again."

"You know, Dally," the oldest Curtis brother started. "Maybe we should send her away. I know you don't like the idea but-"

"No way, man. I promised her I'd always protect her. I promised her-”

"Well, maybe protectin’ her means sendin’ her to a foster family for a while," Darry kept pushing. Dally sighed.

"They could place her anywhere," her brother said, quietly. “We got some family back in New York they could give her to and we’d-” Rae heard his fist collide with something- a countertop maybe? “They wouldn’t let her out ‘til eighteen.” She looked down at her feet, tears springing to her eyes. Dally sounded so desperate. “She’d never forgive me.”

Silence stretched between them for a long while before Darry piped up again.

“What about Two-Bit’s mom?”

“What about her?”

“She loves Rae. Maybe if we told her- maybe she’d consider taking Rae in as a foster. She could still be here with us that way.”

“I dunno, Dar,” her brother said, his voice skeptical.

She walked away before anymore was said, wiping the wetness under one eye. She didn’t want to go away. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Once back in the living room, Rae plastered a smile back on her face and joined the other two for a few badly-played hands of poker before Darry brought their dessert out.

[eliniei]

Those Hard Days - Chapter 24

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

A/N: This is the end of part 1!

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

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Chapter 24 - Rumble

Once the weekend was up and Carrie’s parents returned from their trip, Rae took her duffle of clothes and headed back to Two-Bit’s couch. He told his mom that she’d be staying for an extended amount of time. Mrs. Mathews decided it was high-time to clean out the spare bedroom so she could use it. Together, the three of them started cleaning out the small, spare room where they stored the things left behind when Mr. Mathews left, as well as some holiday decorations.

Dally was back to staying at Buck’s, and it made her feel uneasy again- not seeing him every day, but Rae told herself she was being stupid. Of course he couldn’t just come sleep at Two-Bit’s, too. 

After a school day mid-week, she and Carrie said their goodbyes and her friend left with Steven. Two-Bit drove his car home with the promise of meeting her and Ponyboy at the Curtis’s for dinner since his mom wasn’t going to be home until late that night.

A while later, she and her friends were lounging on the couch, catching up on some Mickey when Soda and Darry walked through the door. 

“That’s great, little buddy,” the older brother remarked as he set down his work belt onto the coffee table. 

“Yeah, I’m really happy with-,” Soda started, but focused his attention on the kids sitting on the couch. “Well, well. Think we picked up a couple of bums, Darry.” He bent over and immediately went for Rae. She squealed and tried to jump out of his grasp, but he started tickling her sides, grinning that award-winning smile of his that made anyone melt. When she tried to jump over Two-Bit, he grabbed her arms and held her there until she was gasping for breath. 

The laughter didn’t last for long, though- a tightness in her throat threatened to choke her and a sense of panic twisted her stomach as her arms were clamped to her side and she wasn’t able to move- wasn’t able to get away- and suddenly, she was begging them to stop but they didn’t seem to understand and-

Soda finally retreated, but he was keeled over, hands over his stomach, a pained expression on his red, strained face. Everyone had frozen, all the sound gone from the room. Rae’s eyes widened when she realized in her moment of panic, she must have kicked him to get him to stop.

“Soda, I-I’m-” Two-Bit let go of her arms as she struggled to sit up and reach out to him. “I didn’t mean-” He inhaled a deep breath, trying to straighten himself out.

“It’s okay,” he squeaked out. “Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”

“It’s...been a while since I felt that kind of…”

"Hey, what smells so good?" Darry yelled from his bedroom. “Did Pony cook?” Soda wheezed a laugh.

“Not likely!” he said with a shaky, but jovial voice, as his older brother walked back into the room. Pony reached out to smack him on the arm. “It was definitely Rae. If Pony had made it, it’d be burnt to a crisp by now.” Soda winked at her, all forgiven and forgotten. The egg timer in the kitchen starting ringing and Rae pulled her hair over one shoulder as she stood up, trying to hide her red face. 

"Lasagna," she said, quietly, as she passed the oldest Curtis and went to pull the pasta out of the oven. Ponyboy silently followed her to start setting the table.

“Soda, you okay?” she heard Darry ask as she slipped an oven mitt over her hand, then tuned out the rest of the conversation.

While Rae was slicing their dinner, she heard the door squeal open and various mumbled greetings followed. 

“Oh yeah, she’s in the kitchen.”

Dally came around the corner as she was setting the knife down, ready to bring the pan to the dining room. The knot in her stomach eased a bit at the sight of his face.

“Hey, Dally.”

“Hey, kid. Thought I might catch ya’ll here.”

“Stayin’ for dinner?”

“Sure, yeah.” She nodded and went to grab an extra place setting for him. 

“It’s ready!” she called out to her friends. Everyone assembled around the small table, grabbing squares of lasagna with a spatula and digging in. 

“Sweet Jesus,” Two-Bit moaned, mouth full of pasta. “This is so damn good.” 

“So,” Dally started, cutting into his food with his fork. “Ya’ll goin’ to the rumble in Brumly on Friday?”

“There’s a rumble?” Ponybody asked, hopeful, but his older brother’s voice overpowered his.

“Absolutely not,” Darry insisted. “With the state’s eye narrowin’ in on us, we’d better skip it.”

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout takin’ Rae down to-” She perked up at the thought.

“Do you think that’s a good idea, Dally?” Darry wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “Those Brumly boys- they can get pretty dirty and-”

“Nah, nah,” her brother interrupted. “I made sure skin only.” Darry pursed his lips and didn’t argue, although Rae could see that he really wanted to. He sighed through his nose. “Besides- Shepard’s gang’ll be there too. If anythin’ happens to her, there’ll be three of us against whoever the hell tries to mess with a Winston.”

“I’m sittin’ right here, ya know,” Rae commented, quietly. “Why do ya’ll keep talkin’ as if I ain’t here?” Dally reached over and patted her on the back. 

“Sorry, kid. Ya wanna go, right?”

“Well, duh,” she muttered, shifting the remnants of her dinner around on her plate.

“Good kid. It’ll be good for ya, to let off all that steam sittin’ in your hot head.”

“What’s the beef, anyway?” Soda asked once he’d polished off his plate. The color of his face seemed to have goon back to normal, and he didn’t seem to be in pain anymore. Rae sighed internally, relief flooding her.

“I dunno, really,” Dally said with a shrug. “Prob’ly drugs. Them Brumly boys are hittin’ the streets pretty heavy with heroin or some other shit. Wouldn’t be surprised if they sold these rich bastards a bad batch one too many times. Tim just told me about it today- didn’t go into the details. A fight’s a fight’s a fight, am I right?”

When Friday rolled around, Dallas met her at Two-Bit’s house, pumped up and ready for some action.

"No-don’t wear a jacket. It’ll hinder your movement,” Dally ordered his sister as she went to slip into her birthday present. Rae shrugged her shoulders and dropped her jacket on to the bed. She tore the t-shirt off her back and replaced it with a long-sleeved shirt. “And pull your hair back.”

She did as she was told and tied her hair back into a high, tight bun. Didn’t want to give the Socs anything to grab on to. When she was finished, then slipped her knife in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled on her Converse, her stomach tying in nervous knots.

"It stopped rainin’. It should be nice and muddy," her brother said, looking out the window of her new bedroom. He let the sheer, wispy curtains fall back into place and sat down on her bed. “Okay, ground rules. Ya don’t leave my side- unless you’re close to Tim or Curly.”

“Right.”

“Ya better not pull that knife out unless you’re threatened with a weapon first. This ain’t supposed to be a dirty fight. But, that bein’ said, this is Brumly we’re talkin’ about and it could change at any time.”

“Okay.”

“And if ya get hurt- you call one of us and we’ll come help. Got it?”

“Got it,” she said with a nod, and then clamped her lips shut. 

"Ya sure you wanna do this?" Dally asked his little sister. “You’re green as hell. Ya ain’t gonna puke on me are ya?” Rae inhaled a deep breath through her nose and let it out, slowly, trying to ease her stomach.

"No-I’m cool," she assured him. "Just a little nervous. First rumble an’ all." He nodded and stood back up.

“Aight, we’d better get movin’ or we’ll miss it.”

They took Buck’s car over and met the other boys at the Shepard house, then headed over to Brumly territory, meeting their gang in the grassy backyard of an abandoned warehouse- a place out of view so that no one called the cops. 

A few of the boys eyed her suspiciously- girls didn’t usually participate in the big fights. Dally and Tim shook hands with a few of the boys they recognized, while Curly stuck to her side like glue, his hand resting snug around her wait.

“Don’t pay attention to them. They’ll get over it,” he insisted as they filtered in among the ranks of greasers. She even spotted a few of the harder hoods- part of the River Kings, no doubt. If she weren’t around- and if not for Mr. and Mrs. Curtis- she was sure Dally’d join up with them in a split second. Compared to them, the Curtis outfit was soft as hell.

Their siblings joined them soon after, and once the sun started setting, they heard car engines mixed with shouting approaching from the front of the building. Rae pushed herself off the side of the building she was lounging on. Tim cracked his knuckles. 

“Let’s teach these momma’s boys what’s what,” he said, trying to rally them up. Curly touched the small of her back for a moment, trying to calm her nervous shaking. 

“You’ll be great,” he whispered into her ear. She gave him a slanted, feline smile. “Atta girl.” He dropped his hand as the rich kids rounded the corner. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched a burly kid from Brumly walk up to meet who seemed to be the leader of the Soc group.

After exchanging a few words, the first punch was thrown and everything exploded into absolute chaos. The three boys around her jumped right in, but she hung back, eyeing the few left. 

When he walked up to her, she recognized him as the kid who’d beat the living hell out of Johnny. The kid who’d wanted to fight her for running into him at the roller rink. The one who tore her dress at the dance. Bob, right? Maybe it was her lucky day. He circled her like a hawk. She could feel the confident arrogance radiating off of him.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a girl," he said, his words barely reaching her ears over the noise around them. She tilted her head to the side. 

"Never expected ya to," she replied, after backing away a few steps when he started getting close. She spit on the ground. He let out a few slow chuckles, a smirk appearing on his smug face.

"And especially don't expect me to go easy on you because your daddy raped you, little girl." Rae’s eyes widened. 

Shit.

Part I End

[eliniei]

Those Hard Days -  Epilogue II - END

Summary: Rae’s brother always made sure she was tough as nails. But when her father flips her world upside down, will she find that there’s a limit on how strong she can be?

Warnings: Rape/Non-con (non-graphic, fade-to-black), child abuse, underage drinking, underage smoking, drug use, violence, major character death

AO3: here Fanfiction.net: here

Masterlist

Previous Chapter |  Next Chapter

Chapter 46 - Epilogue II

Four years later, Rae walked into the cemetery where Dally and Johnny had been buried. She tossed her brown hair over the shoulder of her dark t-shirt and felt a cool breeze blow through the strands. Her top and jeans were covered in dried dirt and grass stains, her cheek red with a forming bruise and a line of dried blood running from the corner of her mouth down to the collar of her shirt. The Saint Christopher medal around her neck shone in the late afternoon sunlight. In the crook of one arm, she carried a bunch of brilliant, red roses. She stopped in front of Johnny’s grave, first. 

“Hey, Johnnycake,” Rae started. She pulled a few roses from the paper wrapping and set them down by the bottom of his headstone. “Thought I’d bring ya some flowers.” She wiped the top of the stone off, pushing a few dead, shrivelled leaves off. “Looks like Pony’s been keepin’ your place pretty clean, huh? Does he still come a lot? The gang misses you somethin’ fierce, ya know.” She smiled softly, and after a few more words, moved down to her brother.

"Hey, Dally,” she greeted him, sitting down criss-cross in the dirt, facing the stone, a bright smile on her face. “Just got outta a rumble. Shepard territory this time. Even Darry came on out to help. I got roughed up a bit, but ain’t nothin’ I can’t handle.” She set the rest of the roses down. 

"I know, I know. You don't like roses but it’s all I could get." She cleaned off the top of the headstone, then ran her fingers down the lettering engraved on it. 

Dallas Tucker Winston November 9, 1948-1965 Devoted Brother and Friend

Rae’s eyes clouded over for a moment, her smile drooping, his face that night flashing in her mind. But she snapped herself out of it, remembering what her therapist had said, and replaced that image with one of him smiling. 

"I-I have something amazing to tell you, Dally," she confessed, smiling again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement and turned her head to see Curly approaching from where he’d parked his car. She tilted her head back. "Well, more than one thing, I guess.” She huffed a laughed. 

“First thing’s first. Remember how I told you that I was takin’ a year after high school to get a job and save up for college?” She paused, reaching for the hair ties at her wrist. Still doin’ the same old shit. “Ponyboy, Two-Bit, Curly, and I are all going to the University of Oklahoma here in a few weeks. Yeah, Two-Bit finally graduated. Amazing, ain’t it? Barb says I was a good influence on him." Rae looked up at the sun for a moment, then back down. “I’m a little sad since Carrie’s stayin’ here in Tulsa so she can be close to Tim, but at least I’ll have the boys. I guess she’s gonna help him with the gang when Curly heads off. She ended up turnin’ real tough, and you’re the one who started it, teachin’ her how to fight.” She felt Curly squat down next to her.

“You tell him yet?”

“Nah, not yet. I was waitin’ for ya.” He smiled and she turned back to her brother’s grave. "So, Dally," she continued, holding out her left hand to the gravestone. There was a silver ring with a small, blue rock sitting on it. "I know you’d prob’ly wanna beat our heads in for this. Curly asked me to marry him and, well, I-I said yes. Tim was sure pissed as hell, ya know?” 

“That’s an understatement,” Curly said with a short laugh.

“We ain’t gonna get marrried anytime soon, so ya ain’t gotta worry about that. I ain’t knocked up or anythin’. That’s what Tim thought, anyhow.”

Rae paused, her smile fading. 

"Dally, you know how we talked about how I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life? I...I think I decided, okay? I wanna to become a therapist...maybe even a certified, professional psychiatrist.” She laughed under her breath. “I know that’s a big word. A-and I’d have to go to medical school for it. Imagine me, a doctor. My therapist was...very supportive.” Curly draped his arm across her back, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. She looked back at him, her smile turned sad. He nodded and kissed her temple.

“I’ll wait in the car.” She nodded and watched him walk away, then turned back to her brother.

“I think I wanna help kids like us." She looked down at the grass and pulled up a few blades. “Kids who...ain’t got good parents or...lost someone...ya know?” Her lip trembled a little, and she sucked in a breath. "But, I'm scared, Dally. I’m afraid of leavin’ ya here without me. I’m scared of leavin’ the rest of the boys behind. Scared of bein’ someplace...new. Therapist says it’s somethin’ called...uh...separation anxiety." Rae let the blade of grass fall out of her hands. “I shouldn’t be surprised, though, huh?”

"It ain’t ever been the same without ya, ya know. I miss ya Dally. You-you remember those nightmares I had when ya first died? Kinda like Pony’s, huh? When his parents..." Rae sighed. “Well, I had one again the other night. My-my therapist says it’s prob’ly ‘cause I’m nervous to leave. She’s gonna...refer me to someone at the college. She says I made some real good progress over the past few years and hopes I will keep it up.” She sat quietly for a few seconds, but finally stood up, looking towards Curly’s car. He stood with his back to her, leaning against the driver side door.

"Guess I better get goin’. The boys are havin’ a cookout tonight for the fourth. Everyone’s gonna be there.” Her stomach did a nervous flip as she stared down at the headstone. 

“Oh, that’s right. Cherry Valance told me to tell you 'hi' for her. She's back in town for the summer. Said she’ll prob’ly come visit soon, too. She’s gonna show us around when we get up to the college.”

She looked back at Curly again. He held up his hand and pointed to his wrist. She huffed a laugh and nodded.

“Alright," she said, turning back one last time. "We’re gonna be late. Do-do me a favor and keep watchin’ over us, okay?" She smiled wide. "I hope I'm makin’ ya proud, big brother. I hope...I hope I’m livin’ life the way ya hoped I would. I love ya, Dally. I’ll...I’ll come visit on my breaks, okay?" She touched the top of his headstone again and started moving back towards the car, letting her hand slide off the smooth, glossy stone.

"Ready?" Curly asked as Rae slid into the passenger seat and closed the door.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "Let's go."

When they pulled up to the Curtis house, they could smell the grill had been lit already. When they’d made their way to the backyard, Darry was standing in front of it, flipping a burger. He looked up and his face split into a smile. He looked like he’d gone away from the rumble unscathed.

“There ya’ll are,” he called. Soda and Tim turned from their lawn chairs to see who his brother was talking to. Angel and Chrissy were laid out on beach towels, next to them, in nothing but bikinis and sunglasses. A cigarette hung out the corner of Angela’s mouth. She lifted her glasses and peered at them through squinted eyes, then dropped them back on her face and gave them a lazy wave before going back to her own business. Chrissy turned over onto her stomach and waved as well.

“Hey guys!” she called, then laid down flat, trying to get an even tan.

“Took ya long enough,” Darry chided. 

“Oh, yeah. We went to the cemetery real quick.” 

“Hey guys,” the middle Curtis brother greeted, lifting himself out of the chair. Rae smiled and made her way over. He went over to a large cooler and pulled a couple cans of beer out. He threw one to Curly, and held the other out to her. He inspected her face as she took the drink from his hands. “Looks like someone got you good, huh?” She smiled a sly smile.

“Maybe, but I think he looks way worse.” Soda laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. She popped the can open.

“You’re really somethin’, kid.” 

Steve came around from the front of the house, plates and napkins in hand. He set them down on the table the boys had set up outside. Evie came out after him, carrying a bowl of potato salad, followed closely by Cherry, who was carrying a salad, the tongs sticking out. They were smiling, giggling, even.

“Oh yeah, I can totally show ya how I do it,” Evie said to the redhead. They set their bowls down on the table and headed back towards the house to get whatever was left inside. Cherry turned as they walked to wave at her. Rae waved back. Steve came over to them and shook hands with Curly. 

“Hey guys,” he said with a grin, his chipped front tooth prominent. He took Curly from her side and the two went to talk about the car they’d driven over in, mumbling to each other. “Yeah. It is-? Okay, that ain’t gonna be a hard fix or anythin’. Let’s have a look...”

Two-Bit, hopped over the back fence, his hand already wrapped around a bottle of his favorite beer. She smiled and went to meet him. He laid his arm across her shoulders as they made their way over to the chairs. 

“Mom’s gonna kill you, lookin’ the way you do,” he informed her and took a sip of his drink. “How was the rumble?”

“Pretty fun,” she responded. “Got smacked in the mouth with a pipe, but I got him back.”

“Good girl,” he said with a smirk. “Always been a tough kid.” She shrugged.

“Well, ya know where I get it from.” She tugged at the medal around her neck.

“Yeah, I do.”

A sudden scream had her spinning, looking for the source. Carrie came running from the other side of the house in a bikini top and jean shorts, bare feet running through the grass. She had a neon pink plastic squirt gun in her hand, a bruise spreading across the knuckles from a punch she’d landed across some poor kid’s cheekbone earlier that day. Ponyboy came around after her, a green gun in his hand, squirting water at her. 

“Hey, Rae!” she yelled as she passed, then squealed again when the cold water hit her back. Pony ran after her. 

“Hey, Rae!” he repeated. She smiled and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest, watching them go. 

Tim got up out of his chair and came up next to them. His eye was starting to turn black.

“Make it out okay, Tim?” Rae asked, leaning forward to see him past Two-Bit.

“Alright,” he confirmed and reached his hand into his back pocket. Her foster brother must have seen what Tim had in his hand, because he jumped out of the way, quickly. Before she could do anything, Rae found herself on the barrel-end of a blue squirt gun with a wet face, the water dripping onto her shirt. 

A flash of a memory appeared behind her eyes- but it quickly melted back into reality. Darry was right, she guessed. Time really did help.

She stared at Tim in shock for a moment, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He tossed the gun over to her and pulled an orange one out of his other back pocket, then gave her a slanted grin and took off running in the same direction Carrie had.

Rae shook her head, a wide grin spreading across her face. 

“Oh, you’re dead fuckin’ meat, now,” she yelled and chased after him until Darry called them all for dinner.